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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25251247">Spiralling</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea_is_Not_Them/pseuds/Tea_is_Not_Them'>Tea_is_Not_Them</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Avatar Jon (AKA: Other Entities snag the Archivist) [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Archivist Sasha James, Big Sister Helen, Canon Asexual Character, Canon Typical Spiral Nonsense, Drunk Shenanigans, Fluff, I advocate for Short King Jon, Light Angst, M/M, Short Jonathan Sims, Spiral Avatar Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, The Spiral, not important to the story but important to me, season one crew</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:29:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,501</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25251247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea_is_Not_Them/pseuds/Tea_is_Not_Them</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jon doesn't know why he does it, usually he lets the statement givers go without much comfort or assurance. But today he wants to walk Helen Richardson out of his office be a comfort to her. Somehow this turns out both bad and good.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Helen Richardson &amp; Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Sasha James &amp; Tim Stoker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Avatar Jon (AKA: Other Entities snag the Archivist) [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>426</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Spiralling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another God DAMN AVATAR JON Thats like,,, six so far right?</p><p>Anyway here are the socials babes ;D</p><p>Insta: tea_is_not_them<br/>Tumblr: tea-is-not-them<br/>tiktok: teaisnotthem</p><p>Fanart link at the bottom!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jon clicked off the recorder as Helen’s statement ended. It was terrible, and he knew that Micheal could be a lot to deal with, from what Sasha says. Hopefully he was of some comfort to her, even if Jon knew he was the worst at being a shoulder to lean on. Both physically and emotionally.</p><p>“Uh, would you like me to walk you out?” He asked. It surprised him slightly that he wanted to help so much. Usually he would do the supplemental or tear the statement to shreds with words. This one just, he knew Michael, and he knew the distortion. He couldn’t just let her go off alone, even just to the door, he’d feel terrible.</p><p>Helen looked confused too, but she gave the smallest of smiles, “Yes actually. I would appreciate that.”</p><p>Jon asked a few questions as he stood, all about small details, and a few things about her job. It was hard to not laser focus on the statement, but he was trying not to make her think about her terrible experience. Just small talk that was a bit stilted, but she seemed to appreciate the effort.</p><p>As they were almost to the entrance of the archives he realizes something is off. Helen looks around as well, both of them confused. Jon stepped carefully, but the more steps he took the longer the Archives hallways felt. Helen gasped as they turned left where there shouldn't have been a turn. The walls began to twist, going from dark and dreary as the institute basement was wont to be, transforming into bright shimmering colored walls that should not be there.</p><p>Jon turned, eyes widening as he realized something, “We went through the wrong door.”</p><p>There was a wall behind them, no way to get back to where they had begun. The wall was solid, the last of the dark solid colors as the walls began to color with brain rot inducing patterns.</p><p>Helen grabbed his arm, her eyes watering as they both knew they were trapped. She towered over him as they walked, and something about it comforted Jon. The mirrors showed nothing, but sometimes they caught glimpses of themselves, and those glimpses terrified them even more, because they couldn’t tell who they were looking at.</p><p>--------</p><p>Sasha went into Jon’s office, wondering why he and the statement giver had gone completely silent. They were not in the room when she checked. </p><p>There was no way for them to leave, no windows nor any place they could have walked without Sasha noticing, as she had been waiting outside just in case Jon had started being incorrigible again.</p><p>A door Opened. It was not there before and she stared at the headache inducing yellow as the door gave way to Michael, who was grinning, lips curled more than humanly possible. His colorful eyes were widened in something that seemed to be sickening joy as he caught her eyes.</p><p>Of course her curiosity got the better of her, “Where are they?”</p><p>“In the hallways! The lost traveller is back and the Archivist is stuck with her. How fun and unfortunate!” His impossible hands clasped together, the sound echoing but also not there at all. </p><p>Sasha had no clue what to do really, she had no power over the hallways and going in wouldn’t guarantee Jon’s safety. It would most likely guarantee her getting hurt or taken just the same. While she thought about her options, Michael seemed to get bored and hopped back through his door, his laugh still echoed through her ears like a distant silver bell. </p><p>She had to tell Tim. After a thought she remembered Elias. She had to tell Elias as well.</p><p>--------</p><p>Jon feels like his eyes are going to melt. The only real thing he can feel is where he and Helen had held tight to each other as if that would save them. Of course it was horrible. There was silence but also not. There were footsteps but instead of hearing it he felt vibrations, as if the carpet would give out under him. </p><p>There were points where he thinks that they were walking on the ceiling. His hair was out of his face, and the ceiling and floor were both the same fractal pattern. The bowling alley barf orange gave way to magenta and neon green swirls, to old motel carpets with stains that looked like blood but were not. Probably weren't blood. He couldn’t be sure, because his eyes and mind slipped away every time he tried to think about it.</p><p>It was infuriating and distressing, his inability to think straight. The more he tried the more his eyes hurt, and pressure built in his head. It felt like he would explode if he tried to cram another question through his brain. Helen looked just as terrible, struggling to stay standing. </p><p>When she crumpled to the floor, she took him with her. They sat on the ground, both shivering and sweating because the air was both hot and cold and Wrong. Her nails felt like knives, as if tearing through his sleeve and clutching through skin. He couldn’t find it in himself to care though, he felt like he was going to die.</p><p>He thinks he lost his glasses somewhere, but where he can't remember. It felt like they had been walking for years, his head pounding. When did he lose his shoes either?</p><p>-------</p><p>When they told Elias, he merely looked slightly intrigued. Though he conjured up false concern easily, Sasha didn't buy it but still. They couldn’t do much.</p><p>He merely told them to continue with working through statements and such, and if there was any further strangeness to tell him immediately. His lack of care was worrying for their chances of seeing Jon and making Sasha confused.</p><p>That's how they would do things, the Archives a bit more terse as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sorting statements and follow ups and supplementals still went on, but there was nothing occupying the office that once held their prickly archivist. There was no underlying noise of statements being read, or any movement of a chair or boxes. The background rolling of the tape recorder was not there anymore.</p><p>Though they went on. Martin made them tea. They went through statements getting the most follow up they could, filed them accordingly. Tim flirted his way into information, and Sasha lied to officials for classified documents. It went as it would have, and the absence of Jon was only noticeable when they all stayed silent for too long. </p><p>After a month Elias called Sasha into his office. She was being promoted to Head Archivist, because Elias was uncertain whether Jon would ever come back.</p><p>After a while it had become easy to ignore the absence, and by a while they meant two months. They missed Jon, but the idea that he would come back was slowly dwindling down to nothingness as the days passed. With Elias even promoting Sasha, it had solidified the idea that he would not be coming back ever again. They still held hope, holding their mourning.</p><p>Tim was throwing elastic hair bands at Sasha, missing terribly and he was about to take another shot before the three all heard a door opening. This made their heads turn to the door at the top of the Archive’s stairs, waiting to see who was in the doorway. Nothing moved. The door to the archives remained closed. </p><p>That set them on edge a little, there were plenty of doors inside the archives and stacks, but there was only one entrance and exit. If none of them opened a door then that meant someone else was there.</p><p>Martin caught the sight of yellow first, his eyes catching on the brightness it seemed to exude between boxes of statements. The dust in the air caught in the glow, and the other two assistants looked that way as well. </p><p>A familiar face was in the doorway, the mess of blond made them all watch, their backs straightening as if by reflex. The blonde stepped out of the door, the sound of it closing echoing through the archives. Michael smiled at them, his face a twist of swirls and distorted features. Looking too long hurt, but they all wondered what he was doing there. It was nothing good, if going by anything else the entity had done.</p><p>“Aww! A new Archivist and her assistants all alone.” Michael looked around the archives, “too bad your archives can’t protect even the one it was made for before.”</p><p>He was gloating, about taking Jon most likely. Tim stood, glaring down the impossible figure, and Martin’s eyebrows drew downwards. All three of them were at attention, and the gloating made them all feel grossly restless.</p><p>“If that's all you came to do. Leave.” Sasha was the only one able to reply, her level head keeping her on track, even as she felt a lot of emotions. </p><p>Michael laughed, a horribly reflecting thing, “I also came to make sure Elias knew that his favored archivist is gone! Forever!”</p><p>This seemed to satisfy the creature’s need to cause their torment, and he went to open the door. The knob wouldn’t budge. Almost as if it were locked. He tried again, anxiety slowly infiltrating his features, he pulled harder. The noises were desperate and scared, and then he stood stock still, “Oh. Oh No.”</p><p>Screaming filled their ears. Distorted and hellish, splitting into different octaves as something so bright happened. The figure of Michael was glitching, twitching and coming apart, the limbs twisting and changing and moving away from where they should have been connected. Its body slowly crumbled into something like dust, or glitter. It was hard to discern, both being dull and bright.</p><p>The pile that was once Michael bagan to twist, as if getting sucked up through a tornado directly into the keyhole of the yellow door.</p><p>It was silent.</p><p>“What happened to him?” Martin asked, no one could answer that. The silence continued until it stopped. The door opened again. </p><p>The towering figure of Helen Richardson came through, her once human self distorted and changed. Looking at her hurt less than it had for looking at Michael, her mostly human looking eyes filled with mirth and uncharacteristic triumph. Her hands were holding the door slightly ajar behind her, and they wondered if she feared replacement and death as well. She must have heard Michael’s terrible end.</p><p>“Hello!” her cheerful voice pervaded the air, echoing even more than it should.</p><p>“Helen?” Martin asked, tentative as he leaned forward, as if to get a better look.</p><p>“In the- well- not flesh but still! I’m back!” Her smile could have been infectious if it hadn’t gone up nearly to her ears, much to many teeth showing, her eyes crinkled. The laugh lines seemed to grow and change. Her eyes shifted around her face.</p><p>“Where is Jon?” Sasha came back to herself, the weird feeling at the familiar face wearing off. Now she wanted to Know.</p><p>Helen blinked and then smiled even wider, “Oops how rude of me! Jon!” </p><p>She opened the door larger, and shifted away from the doorway. The Movement was accompanied by clouds of color where she was, and as the strange afterimage stopped they saw Jon.</p><p>He looked almost like himself. His hair was pulled up into a bun, his sweater vest had impossible figures in the cabling, and his button up undershirt was a swirling green and magenta. Behind the glasses, the longer they stared, the more his eyes seemed to melt down his cheeks, like an absurdist painting. </p><p>He waved, and his hands were still small, though just like the rest of him, the more you looked, the sharper his fingers seemed, nails pointed like claws with knife sharp points. </p><p>“Jon?”</p><p>“Yes. It’s me. Uh, thank you for dropping me off Helen.” He turned, and Helen put a too large hand over his shoulder, smiling.</p><p>“Of course! See you later.” If you could describe the emoticon smile that's what Helen looked like, as she turned to go into the Hallways that twisted and swirled. The afterimage of her stayed, even as Jon stepped through the door, watching it shut behind the eccentric monster woman. </p><p>There was a moment of pause, before Jon looked up at them and gave a small smile. Careful. As if not to let it grow and curl and twist around the edges like burning paper. </p><p>As he stepped away from the door his shadow cast along the wall, the shadow stretched unusually for the light, almost seven foot tall and with its hair a large curling mess. It had eyes that glowed and stretched.</p><p>“We have a lot to catch up on.” Tim finally spoke, the whole thing rendered him unusually quiet. </p><p>---------</p><p>Elias wanted to fire Jon. He needed Assistants for the new Archivist, not whatever Jon had become. While he hadn’t died and gave himself completely to the spiral yet, he was still a problem. This was an issue with the Eye, because it was curious of having a Spiral avatar in its domain it would not let Elias fire Jon like he wished to. This put a damper on his plans.</p><p>He did his job which made Elias even angrier! There wouldn’t even be a reason to fire him other than his patronage. So an archival assistant with Spiral patronage would stay.</p><p>-------</p><p>Jon grabbed the mug and groaned, Martin snickered as the tea inside became something else, millions of tiny moving eyes and swirls. Jon poured the drink out, watching as it became tea again as soon as it escaped the mug. Tim laughed as he watched, and Sasha hid her smile by pretending to look over statements. </p><p>“Don’t worry. Here's another.” This time when Jon grabbed it, it stayed real and tangible and he smiled, still cautious. After a sip he let out a breath of relief.</p><p>After getting used to the weirdness that now surrounded their coworker, it was normal. Sometimes statements did switch around and tapes got mixed up, and sometimes the hallways seemed too long, but as soon as they shout at Jon it’ll stop.</p><p>Helen hung around sometimes, more proud of her strange new self. Her and Tim got along strangely well, and she acted as an impromptu sister to Jon. </p><p>It was funny too, to see Helen, a six foot three woman standing next to Jon, a five foot man. She absolutely towered over everyone but Tim, who was the same height as her. He was proud of that. </p><p>Jon took a sip of the tea and hummed, the sound a little discordant. </p><p>-------</p><p>Martin and Sasha stood in the tunnels, Jane Prentiss crawling her way through like a rot. </p><p>Jane Prentiss had tried to corner Martin in his flat, but somehow, Helen showed up in his flat and offered him a free ride to the institute. He had very much taken the opportunity by the horns and came with her. The sight was terrifying and the hallways hurt to think about, but it was better than being trapped with worms.</p><p>Behind them the sound of a door opening startled them. Jane looked confused as the neon green door showed Jon. He grabbed Sasha and Martin, pulling them into his domain. </p><p>His hallway was different from Helen’s. The walls were covered in bookshelves, but if you looked for too long the books started swapping titles, changing colors, switching dust jackets. The hallways were long, twisting and full of dim lamps. It was not bright but somehow that made the shadows swimming around the corners terrify you more. </p><p>You didn’t know if it was a trick of your eyes or if the walls were closing in, or if the passages got slimmer or the ceilings dipped lower. It looked the same but some areas still disoriented Martin.</p><p>Tim was there. He had grabbed Tim before he noticed the two of them had gotten trapped in the tunnels, face to face with their horrifying enemy. </p><p>Jon opened a door that had not been there and pulled the fire alarm with one sharp finger, the alarms blaring before he closed the door once more.</p><p>They walked alongside Jon. Martin looked like he was going to pass out, Tim and Sasha were holding onto each other for dear life. Jon looked calm, but they could see the way his hair curled and uncurled around his shoulders, and how his eyes were doing that weird melting thing. He looked positively monstrous, unable to stay human looking in his domain.</p><p>Jon opened a door and they were in a flat. It must have been Jon’s, because it was sparse, not decorated and only had light furnishings. When the door closed and disappeared Jon flapped his hands around. The fast movements left afterimages that made their eyes almost roll into the back of their heads.</p><p>“Are you all ok?” His voice was warped with worry.</p><p>“I’m ok.” Sasha gave a thumbs up, “I’m as good as I can be.” She had exactly three worm holes in her calf, which was being tended to. </p><p>Tim grinned, “Yup Boss! All good here.” He was a bit high off of fire extinguisher CO2 still, but he had not gotten bitten or burrowed into.</p><p>Martin gave a shaky smile, he hadn’t gotten any either thankfully. </p><p>Jon sighed in relief, the sound almost making a visible swirl, “Well. Good.”</p><p>-------</p><p>“Helen I won’t wear that color and you know it.” Jon accused, his hands pressed into his chest as if to protect them from the horrible fate that was Helen with bright glittery yellow and pink nail polish.</p><p>Said woman rolled her eyes, which was very literal, as her entire eye socket rolled around as well, “Come on it’ll be so fun!”</p><p>“I will wear green and that is it, sparkles if you are lucky.”</p><p>“But please! We can match! You’re really killing my vibe here Jon.” She pouted and Jon threw his hand up. </p><p>“No. But I’ll let you do my hair.”</p><p>Helen grinned, “Yes! You’re going to love it.”</p><p>Jon groaned, but he accepted his fate, going to get the only hairbrush that hadn’t broken in his almost sentient hair yet. The hairbrush was a survivor. </p><p>--------</p><p>Martin blinked awake, feeling sluggish but nice. He noticed a door out of the corner of his eye that shouldn’t be there. He looked up to see a green door, the neon popping out in the middle of the dark room. Oh just Jon.</p><p>What does he want? Martin scrubbed his eyes with confusion. </p><p>The door disappeared quickly but he noticed a notebook on the floor. It was one that he had forgotten in the breakroom. Martin huffed a laugh, because Jon tried to not be creepy when he did nice things for them, but that was so weird that he could just be there in their flats.</p><p>He would say thank you tomorrow, and scold him for the portalling into his flat in the middle of the night. Not that he actually minded.</p><p>-------</p><p>Elias hated that he couldn’t see out of Jon’s eyes anymore. He couldn't even look into the Archives without a very very bad migraine following. Looking through Jon’s eyes was like looking through the eyes of a picasso painting, everything was weird shifting colors and there were colors that Elias could not even think of seeing with human eyes.</p><p>Looking into the archives was like trying to look through TV static but with more angry screaming spirals and books. Elias hated not being able to spy or keep an eye out. </p><p>Looking through Sasha saved some of his control down there, but he still got a disgusting taste in his mouth watching too long.</p><p>Still the Eye didn’t want Jon out of it’s archives, and Elias was very displeased by it.</p><p>------</p><p>When Jon was angry he started to lose touch with reality. He got very warped and weird looking and usually any argument with him ended up with Jon going into his hell hallways dimension to do whatever it was he did to calm down. (Cry but they didn’t need to know that)</p><p>Though now that he wasn’t their boss he had less to be angry about, it helped him calm down. There were less arguments and less of Jon being a dick. It was a bit sad that he had to go through literally hell and a demotion to learn to be a bit nicer to people he cared about but. It happens like that.</p><p>--------</p><p>Taking Jon drinking had been the best idea in the world, or at least that's what Tim, Sasha, and secretly Martin thought.</p><p>He was a giggly drunk they found. His giggles sounded like a thousand voices stacked but it was almost cute, in a strange way. Martin liked it at least. </p><p>His hair was slowly crawling and growing in volume the more he drank as well, going crazy like his shadow, which was shifting and doing something weird in the bars dim lighting. Martin snorted as Jon made a face at the smell from Tim’s drink. Tim was doing a shot contest with Sasha, who was winning. Jon had started with them, but he was a terrible lightweight, even if he was now a supernatural creature, so he was sitting and giggling at the others. </p><p>Jon was pressed to Martin’s side, humming slightly in content. Martin had made a nice pillow actually. Martin had decided to stay mostly sober, because someone had to make sure none of them got run over or got lost while drunk. It was going to be quite the task honestly. Tim was a rowdy drunk, Sasha drank like a trucker, and now he knew Jon was a giggly lightweight. A very cute giggly lightweight. </p><p>Though it was nice to take care of people who would thank him for being helpful, and wanted his care.</p><p>He batted Jon’s crazy hair out of his face, and Jon giggled, the sound fizzing at the edges, his eyes looking a bit melty. Martin felt his heart warm a bit, and he chose to not think about how bad of a crush he had on Jon, but it was hard not to when Jon was giggling and practically laying in his lap. The little places that had skin to skin contact were buzzing, and Martin wasn't sure if it was just Jon’s new state of being or if he was just very very gay. </p><p>“Go Sasha!” Jon cheered, and Tim shot him a wounded look. Martin snickered, because it was obvious who would win their little game. Sasha always did, but Tim would never back down. It made for a hilarious night, a great distraction from feelings. Both of his crush and of anything else that plagued him lately.</p><p>“Babe! You won't even cheer for me.”</p><p>Jon giggled, discordant and strange, “Sasha is doing good Tim. Catch up.” he said this with a cadence he once used to get them to do follow ups. This made Martin snort.</p><p>Tim looked away from the distraction to find Sasha ahead of him and gasped, “Cheaters!” But he continued trying to beat Sasha.</p><p>“I wonder what it’s like to wander drunk through Helen’s Hallways.” Sasha said, after they had stopped the game, the obvious winner being Sasha. Tim lost with grace, sipping water. He was using the most obnoxious curly straw.</p><p>Martin hummed, “Well unpleasant probably.” He had a virgin strawberry daiquiri placed in front of him and he thanked Jon, who had somehow gotten up to the bar to order everyone something without alcohol.  Mostly waters.</p><p>Jon raised a brow, “What was’ the question?” He was slurring his words, and then he seemed to snort at his own terrible ability to eloquently speak at the moment.</p><p>“How would it feel to be drunk going through the Hallways?” Tim responded.</p><p>Jon looked thoughtful, “Not fun. Probably would give you a hangover immediately.” He sipped his drink and still sat very close to Martin’s side. He was weirdly warm, Martin noted, and the tingling feeling returned. Probably Jon then.</p><p>Sasha nodded sagely, taking Jon’s words to heart, “Extra swirls would make you throw up. Might be fun though.”</p><p>“Throwing up is never fun Sasha.” Martin said, taking the tiny umbrella out of his drink and placing it down on the table.</p><p>Tim nodded and pointed at him, some of his water splashing and getting on Sasha. Sasha glared playfully and wiped her wet sleeve on Tim’s face. This made Jon giggle at the look of disgusted betrayal Tim expressed at Sasha, who looked very proud of herself. </p><p>They calmed down a little after drinking non-alcoholic things, quieting down as Tim danced terribly in his seat to the bar's music, and Martin watching his friends. He felt something happening in his hair and he looked to see Jon putting the tiny umbrella in his hair, looking very focused. His tongue was poking out and it was a surprising green and purple.</p><p>When he noticed he was being watched by Martin he went a little red, but he was becoming red and green and blue as well, the colors mixing on his cheeks. Martin tried to hide his laugh, but Jon pouted so he took it that his attempt was in vain.</p><p>“Alright, lets get everyone home.”</p><p>“Dun, wanna get up.” Sasha said from where she had her head placed down on the table. Tim gave him a peace sign and then tapped Sasha until she whipped her head up and glared at him. He just grinned like an idiot. They were such dorks.</p><p>Jon hummed, the sound vibrating through his whole body. </p><p>“Ok. Well. You can all come home with me tonight. I am not sending you off separate ways.” Martin said finally, he bumped Jon’s shoulder and the slightly fuzzy form of him slowly went back to normal. Jon looked up at him with a small human smile, but it was quickly curling at the corners.</p><p>How Martin got all these people to the tube without them falling over and dying was a feat in itself. As soon as they got to the flat, Tim and Sasha had both taken the couch Tim laying on top of Sasha like a blanket. Sasha snored almost as soon as she laid down. They were taken care of.</p><p>He might not have thought this through, because he couldn't think of a place for Jon to sleep other than the couch or the bed. Jon was clinging to his arm, mumbling something that sounded almost like English, but just slightly off. If he wasn’t used to the weird things about Jon he might have felt a bit crazy.</p><p>“Jon.” That only got him a hum. He huffed and had to pick Jon up to keep him from falling on the floor. He laid the other on his bed carefully and sighed. He would go and change and make himself a pallet on the floor he guessed.</p><p>When he came back in pyjamas, he got close to the bed to check on Jon. He was blurring slightly, hair curling and moving as if alive on its own. Jon suddenly grabbed his sleeve, but as far as Martin could tell he was still asleep.</p><p>He was far too tired to deal with this. So he just laid down and went to bed. This was an issue for Later Martin.</p><p>---------</p><p>Martin woke up first. Jon was curled up next to him and he froze. His brain had to come back online for a few minutes before he stopped almost panicking, and just tried to even out his breathing. Thankfully he could slip his arm away easily. Though the way Jon’s touch buzzed had made his arm fall asleep sometime during the night, it wasn’t the worst feeling in the world though. He needed to check on Tim and Sasha.</p><p>Tim and Sasha were still asleep, and he sighed. </p><p>There was nothing to do in his flat so he might as well make breakfast. </p><p>Sometime after he had started to cook, he heard footsteps and he turned to see Jon, his hair was almost at an astonishing volume, practically bigger than the man. Martin snickered. It was messy and curly. Jon gave a half hearted glare, his clothes from the night before rumpled. Jon yawned, and Martin swore Jon’s jaw opened wider than it should have. </p><p>“Awake?”</p><p>Jon grumbled, “Yes. Tim and Sasha are still cuddled on the couch.” He scrunched his nose, but it wasn’t in disgust. </p><p>Martin hummed and plated what was in the pan, scrambled eggs.</p><p>“Would you like food?”</p><p>Jon looked at the food and nodded, giving another yawn. It was a little cute. Martin handed him a plate and Jon sat at the tiny thrifted dinner table. Martin looked at his recipe book to see if he could make anything else and noticed the words had jumbled together, some were in entirely dead languages. He thinks he saw enochian somewhere at the bottom of the page.</p><p>“Jon.”</p><p>“What did I do.” It was more a statement, but now that Jon was aware of it, he stopped. The recipe book went back to normal.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>All he got in return was a huff, and he stuck his tongue out at Jon. There was a groan of hungover pain from the living room and Martin snickered. Jon looked up and smiled, the edges curling just slightly. He was still tired enough to be less aware of the inhumanity, Martin guessed.</p><p>He peeked around the wall that separated the kitchen and sitting room to see Tim on the floor stretching, as Sasha grinned down at him. Jon giggled a bit, the sound disorienting. </p><p>“I’ve been murdered by Sasha! Murdered and betrayed!” Tim said dramatically from the floor, where he lay like a Shakespearean actor, faking his death. His face was ridiculous.</p><p>---------</p><p>“Helen.”</p><p>“Jon if this is about Martin again I’m going to throw you into the hallways.”</p><p>Jon pouted slightly, “You wouldn’t.”</p><p>“If you just talked to him it would work out! You two would be a very cute couple of crazy kids! But I am tired of the pining!” Helen waved her hand dramatically, getting a nail stuck in her afro as she tried to pick through it. </p><p>Jon huffed and used a sharp finger to pull her nail out of her hair. He was blessed by the spiral with smaller hands. “Helen, what he doesn’t like me. I’m still an embodiment of fear-”</p><p>“Oh. My. God. You are so difficult Jon.” She paused and then threw a hairbrush at him, which bonked him on the head.</p><p>The offended look made her laugh, but he grabbed the brush and tried his hardest to get the mess into something professional. It had grown very long and practically had a mind of it’s own. </p><p>“Still stands.” Jon said, waving the brush at her.</p><p>She huffed, “That boy likes you, even the spooky parts. Who wouldn’t love the fun funky powers?” Her voice gets soft, and she looks earnestly at him, like she is about to tell him something completely true, “Who wouldn't love you?”</p><p>“I still don’t think so. But thank you Helen.” He was smiling, his eyes a little melty.</p><p>------- </p><p>Sasha looked at the statement, she had taken it after Helen dragged Jon somewhere for lunch and someone came in with a story to tell. Even if it were her job it was still weird. Listening to it still made her uneasy, as she knew exactly who the statement was about.</p><p>The tape recorder paused after the words, “Statement of Marianna Meeks recording two unusual strangers…”</p><p>It was about Jon and Helen. Helen had shown a group of people around a house, acting as a real estate agent, and Jon was a part of the tour. Marianna talked about how the real estate agent kept changing before her eyes, and how when she turned to another man, he said that she was always like that. Jon. </p><p>The man beside her started to warp slightly. She looked back at him after the tour, as he and the real estate agent spoke, and saw his shadow. Marianna was terrified she was going crazy, because the man's eyes seemed to seep down his face, and his hair seemed to move on its own.</p><p>She was glad Jon had not yet started trapping people in his hallways, only using them to transport himself and others quickly, but still. Hearing about the strangeness of their friend from someone else was unsettling. Sasha knew that logically Jon was not human, and that he was slightly horrifying to behold if you didn’t know him. </p><p>But something weird was happening to her too. Still unsettling.</p><p>---------</p><p>Jon held Martin’s hand, careful of the sharpness of his fingers. He was aware of the tingling, but Martin had told him it was ok. Martin smiled at him, and everything felt easy. Jon could feel the eyes of others on him, the swirling and horrible twisting part of him enjoyed the slight fear that others gave off just from viewing him. It didn’t matter, he was on a date with Martin.</p><p>Helen had teased him into finally asking, and Martin had accepted as fast as he could with a little breath as he could. </p><p>Yes they were meeting Tim and Sasha later for drinks, but right now it was all them. Martin talking about poetry, Jon ranting about whatever topic he had focused on that week. Jon had accidentally changed their drinks into something that was Not Tea, but that's ok. They laughed it off. Jon even tried a sip.</p><p>Jon was happy that Martin could accept him as he was. He was happy everyone in the archives had. He had Tim and Sasha and Martin and Helen. </p><p>He leaned into Martin’s side, the warmth that Martin radiated felt like contentment, like home.</p><p>“What are you practically purring about?” Martin asked, his voice teasing.</p><p>“Nothing Martin.” His voice did not come out as commanding as he wanted it to, just soft. How strange that spiralling led him here, to Martin. To Tim and Sasha and Helen. Martin laughed, as a stray length of hair wrapped around his arm, as if to keep him close, Jon blushed embarrassed. </p><p>-------</p><p>Sasha hissed and Jon was apologizing profusely, having accidentally scratched her shoulder, “Sorry Sasha.”</p><p>“It’s fine knife hands.” She was pressing a wet cloth to the scratch, and Jon had the first aid kit out for her, not really trying to get involved, the fear of scratching her again was real. </p><p>“I’m more surprised that you hadn’t scratched anyone else yet.” Tim said from the doorway. He made a gesture mocking Jon’s sharp fingers. This made him pout and Sasha laughed.</p><p>Martin came into the room, holding mugs of tea, “You ok?”</p><p>“Yeah. It's like getting scratched by a large cat actually.” Sasha grinned, taking the cloth off of her wound, it wasn’t terrible or anything but it had freaked them all out when they saw blood.</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>Jon stared at his hands and then looked very in thought. Martin tapped his shoulder, “What are you thinking?”</p><p>Jon waved a hand, carefully so as to not swipe at anyone, “Nothing. I do wish I could file these down though.”</p><p>-------</p><p>Elias had no way to know what was coming. All he knew was there was suddenly static, and that there was something behind him. He turned and saw Jon, and he saw a hallway that was not there.</p><p>Jon grinned, a face splitting thing, eyes watching as he grabbed Elias by the shirt, tearing the buttons and fabric with his sharp hands, leaving bloody scrapes behind as well. He could not fight when he was pulled into a green door, not used to feeling scared.</p><p>And when the door closed, Jon was there behind him and Elias knew that he had to run. He could not Know anything while in these hallways, the staticky migraine onsetting when he tried. As he ran, he heard Jon behind him, sounding leisurely, as if walking and staying close was no issue even as Elias exerted himself. Jon was toying with him. </p><p>This was not funny. Elias was used to being in charge and for Jon to be toying with him made his blood boil</p><p>He looked behind him. Jon was not there.</p><p>Jon had to have been there. He looked around through the halls, but there was no sign of the owner of the domain. Elias had been so sure that he was being followed. But that's what Jon did now, what Jon was. He calmed down at the thought, righting himself back into false security knowing, or thinking he would be right. Jon could try and play with him but Elias knew this game.</p><p>Still he doesn't want to walk these halls, even if they were a far cry from the distortions usual mind numbing colors. </p><p>It felt like days before he heard anything other than his own footsteps.</p><p>“Elias.” The words frayed and frizzed at the edges, as if multiple people were saying it. </p><p>Elias jumped, turning to the voice. There was nothing there. “Jon.”</p><p>He had no answer.</p><p>He felt weak being disconnected from the Eye for so long. When would he get out? </p><p>He had collapsed, unable to go one, everything was spinning and the books flew over his head. The colors spin and change. He had been cut off for so long, and he was alone. Everything felt wrong. It had been days since he had seen anything. </p><p>There was Jon. He stood over him, his eyes melty and mouth frowning. Elias was confused as to why he was there now. </p><p>Jon smiled. Elias felt panic. Jon knew something he didn’t. The feeling of not knowing was so much. He was scared.</p><p>Elias watched as he was stabbed in the heart. Sharp fingers twisted through soft tissue and Jon waved with bloody wands as Elias saw no more. His body would rot in the tunnels, this Jon would make sure of.</p><p>---------</p><p>Jon held Martin’s hand. He wondered if they suspected he did something to Elias. They all seemed very happy to be free from the man, and that the man had gone missing. He was thankful they hadn’t died when he killed the man.</p><p>“Are we going out tonight?” Jon asked, Martin ran a hand through his hair, even as it tried to trap Martin’s hand there. It wrapped around his fingers, trying to keep him there scratching at Jon’s scalp, because to be fair it felt really nice.</p><p>“Tim and Sasha are picking the place.”</p><p>Jon sighed in contentment, “They're going to choose that trashy bar.” </p><p>They both shared a laugh and a look of disgust, before settling back into the small bit of domesticity the hallways afforded them. Martin had gotten used to them, as long as he looked at Jon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Art by Art Harridan on Instagram!!</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/p/CEFTCC3lDi1/?igshid=1kvll1vyy0bop</p></blockquote></div></div>
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